Category: prayer

  • Praying for Marriages on the National Day of Prayer 2024

    Praying for Marriages on the National Day of Prayer 2024

    Lord, we thank you today for the institution of marriage, which you designed and gave to us as a beautiful and profound gift. All of creation tells us that you exist, but marriage tells us who you are. You are a God of relationship. Within the Godhead, you are rich, harmonious, honoring relationship. As people made in your image, we have the joy of reflecting that rich, harmonious, and honoring relationship in our marriages.

    It is a privilege and responsibility to tell the truth of who you are. Through our marriages, we can reflect the truth that you are a faithful Covenant Partner: you cherish, you protect, you provide, you nurture, you support, and you comfort. You never abandon; you never belittle; you never stop loving.

    Lord, we confess as your people that we have failed to tell the truth of who you are through our marriages. We have failed to turn to you to let you love us so well that we can then turn to our spouses and love them well. We have not leaned on you as the one who will always welcome us, the one who will always comfort us, and the one who is always trustworthy.

    God, we hold up to you now every marriage within the body of Christ in this nation. We ask that the marriages of your people would be rooted and grounded in you. We ask that we would love our spouses as our highest ministry and that we would value our spouses as people created in the image of God, worthy of respect, attention, and compassion.

    Show us how to encourage the marriages around us. Teach us that our marriages are not private matters; they are personal but not private because we are part of the Body of Christ, and we hurt and heal together.

    Lord, we pray now for marriage in this nation to be honored. We recognize that the fabric of marriage is being shredded and that the very meaning of marriage is being repressed and slandered. We pray that marriage as you designed it will be valued; we pray that couples will be strengthened and will gain hope to keep doing the noble work of marriage; we pray that couples will be encouraged to nurture their marriages because people are always worth loving.  

    Make us bold, unrelenting, and kind in holding onto marriage as you designed it—
    marriage as the best cradle for a child,
    marriage as the strong, enduring foundation underneath our children’s lives, and
    marriage that tells the truth about who you are.

    You are a promise keeper, a faithful lover, a devoted covenant partner to us, and we adore you.

    For the sake of Christ, we pray this. Amen.

  • Encouragement for Hurting Husbands

    “Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes.” (Amos 9:11, NLT)

    I know that you are asking God to fulfill these words in your marriage, and I earnestly join you in that prayer, believing that God’s heart is strong for healing and reconciliation. But I also know that at this moment, you sense only cold silence and closed doors. 

    I want to encourage you that you are not alone in your pain, God is not discouraged, and His plan for your life is not in tatters. 

    “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 
    (2 Corinthians 4:8-9, NIV)

    God is not limited by your emotions. You can feel low and yet have strong faith. As you set your will to follow God, He works powerfully through your yielded spirit. 

    “Therefore, since we do hold and engage in this ministry by the mercy of God …, we do not get discouraged (spiritless and despondent with fear) or become faint with weariness and exhaustion.”
    (1 Corinthians 4:1, AMPC)

    I pray that the following five truths will strengthen you today.

    1. God’s mighty purposes for your life and your marriage are not thwarted. 

    “I know that You can do anything and no plan of Yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2, HCSB)

    God is still using your marriage to draw you closer to Him. The Spirit is still using you to show those around you what God looks like. You have the opportunity to reveal God as a forgiving God, full of generous grace, unfailing commitment, and unconditional love. In fact, it is when our marriages are difficult that we are most able to demonstrate these awesome attributes of God.

    *

    And when our marriages are difficult, we are often able to see our own hearts better. When a spouse is warm and supportive, we may believe that we are more loving than we really are. “You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours” is usually a  pleasant transaction, not a self-denying sacrifice. But when we serve a spouse without receiving appreciation or even acknowledgment, then our inner responses reveal our true motivation. 

    As others have pointed out, when we are treated like servants, we quickly learn whether we have servant’s hearts or not! When we are not receiving positive feedback, we have the privilege to serve purely for the sake of love.

    (Continue reading HERE at StartMarriageRight.com.)


    *Photo by FreelyPhotos from StockSnap

  • 12 Choices for an Extraordinary Marriage (Part One)

    choices

    I invited my friend Kristen to share some of her insights into marriage as she and her husband recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary. (Learn more about Kristen’s talented writing and her award-winning novels at the end of this article.*)

    In this two-part series, Kristen explains twelve choices that create extraordinary marriages. Whether you are a newlywed or a seasoned spouse, practicing these guidelines will be a blessing in your home!

    by guest writer Kristen Hogrefe

    Just over a year ago, my husband and I said “I do.” Like most new couples, we received lots of advice, and we welcomed what wisdom others had to share. 

    However, one recurring comment troubled me: “The first year of marriage is hard.” Although I understood that we would both have adjustments to make, I didn’t like this “survivalist” mentality. After all, Jesus came so that we could have life “more abundantly” (John 10:10), and surely that concept applied to marriage, part of His design. But what did I know?

    Well, I have good news. The first year of marriage doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it can truly be extraordinary, but both husband and wife are responsible to each other to make it that way.

    #1. Agree that you married the right person.

    Once you say, “I do,” this one is signed, sealed, and delivered. In God’s eyes, that person is now the “right person” because you made a covenant before Him with this individual. You can’t make the excuse, “I married the wrong person.” The truth is that anyone you marry will disappoint or upset you at one point or another, and that reality doesn’t make him or her the “wrong person.” 

    In short, remove this excuse from your vocabulary. Resist the temptation to compare your spouse to any other person. It’s not a fair comparison, because you don’t know anyone’s strengths and weaknesses as well as your spouse’s. This person, complete with brokenness and beauty, is God’s plan for your life. Relish that reality and that privilege.

    #2. Be kind and thoughtful to each other.

    This one should be a no-brainer, but if the Apostle Paul felt the need to remind his readers, then more than likely we can use the reminder too. “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32 NKJV)

    Marriage brings adjustments. You each bring different life experiences and personal habits into the relationship. Instead of expecting the other person to be just like you, embrace the differences. Also, make room for changes.

    When we got married, James moved into my house. Realizing what a big change this would be for him, I rearranged and gave away furniture to make room for his. I also practiced saying “our home” instead of “my home” and tried to look for ways to incorporate his things. 

    Everyone’s situations are different, but during those first early weeks and months, be sensitive and aware of simple ways to make the transition smoother. When in doubt, ask what you can do.

    #3. Communicate. Communicate. Communicate.

    My husband and I marvel at how much other couples seem to fight. We’re redeemed sinners like every other Christian couple, but we don’t argue or yell at each other. If we disagree, we talk about it. If we’re having a bad day, we’re honest about it. If we mess up, we have to apologize.

    I remember having a particularly rough day at work. Coming out of my office, I found James working on his laptop and told him straight: “It’s been a tough day, babe, and I’m pretty upset about it. Just know that it has nothing to do with you.”

    Don’t make your spouse guess if you’re upset with him or not. Be transparent. Once James knew how I was feeling, he was able to lovingly support me through my emotions instead of wondering if he were somehow responsible for them.

    #4. Be realistic. Your spouse is not a mind-reader.

    Gals, this point is especially for us. We sometimes romanticize our spouses and expect them to know exactly what we want. That expectation is just not realistic. 

    A few months into our marriage, I kept seeing these posts from my girlfriends about their guys giving them flowers “just because.” I wished that James would do the same, but then I remembered something my brother once told me. “We guys aren’t mind-readers.”

    The next time James asked if there was something he could do for me, I simply said, “I’d really appreciate if you gave me flowers sometime. It might seem silly, but I’d love to get flowers from you.”

    He smiled and thanked me for telling him. “I didn’t realize how long it’s been since I got you flowers.” Guess what? He brought home flowers soon after that.

    #5. Have adventures together.

    I realize the wedding and honeymoon are expensive, but find ways to experience life together. James and I love to travel, so we’ll hunt for cheap-o flights, plan visits to see friends, or even just drive to the beach to watch the sunset. Adventures don’t have to be pricey. You just have to be intentional about planning them.

    The time you spend together sharing new or favorite experiences contributes to both of your “love tanks” and builds memories.

    #6. Grow together with Christian community and with Jesus.

    This one is so, so important. After we got married, we tried several Sunday school classes for couples until we found our Honeymooners class. There is something so precious about doing life with other couples who are walking in your shoes. Also, being intentional about learning together deepens your relationship and fosters healthy conversations. With our class, we’ve gone through Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace Academy and are currently in the Love and Respect series by Emerson Eggerichs.

    In addition to Christian community, husbands and wives should spend time together in God’s Word and alone with God. This year, James and I have been reading through the book of John and are looking forward to starting a new book soon. We also have our separate quiet times in our own ways. However, don’t fall into the trap of comparing your walk with God to your spouse’s. What matters is that you both invest in God’s Word and are committed to growing in your walk with the Lord, even if your approaches are different.

    Also important is that you consistently pray for your spouse. Two resources I’ve found helpful are Jennifer Smith’s 31 Prayers for Your Husband and The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian.

    Next time, we’ll look at six more choices couples can make to get their marriage off to a great start. For now, which of these ideas is most helpful to where you are right now?


    *Kristen Hogrefe is an award-winning author and life-long learner who enjoys starting her day with Jesus and coffee.

    Kristen and her husband live in Florida, the perfect setting for their many outdoor adventures. Connect with Kristen at www.KristenHogrefe.com, where she challenges young adults and the young at heart to think truthfully and live daringly.

  • 3 Tips to Transform Any Marriage (A Webinar and a Winner)

    Most successful couples practice this one skill. In fact, this skill is so important to a healthy relationship that the direction of a marriage can be predicted based on this skill alone. Do you know what that is?

    Another practice is so powerful in marriage that couples who make this a habit have a divorce rate of less than one percent. Wow! Do you know what that habit is?

    Webinar

    Anyone can develop these skills and begin to use them immediately. In a webinar last week, Dr. Jessica McCleese and I discussed three tips that will transform any marriage. We used the acronym MAP to discuss those three practices.

    You can watch the webinar replay HERE.

    jessica Jessica is a licensed psychologist who uses biblical principles to help couples improve their marriages. I very much enjoyed working with Jessica on the webinar, which she hosted through her website. You can view the webinar on YouTube HERE.

    Winner

    Thank you to all who entered the drawing for the book giveaway this week. Congratulations, Ken!  Ken will be receiving a copy of Gary Chapman’s latest release.

    chapman

    As always, you are invited to join our weekly prayer time on Thursdays, or listen to the recordings HERE. If you would like us to pray for you by name, just let me know. We consider it a privilege to pray for marriages and families.

    Blessings to you,
    Tami

  • Praying Psalm 1 for Your Husband

    LORD, I thank You for my husband. Thank You for creating him in Your image, designing him for greatness and strength.

    husband

    I pray that my husband will be like a great tree planted by streams of water, its branches reaching up to the sky. May my husband be a mighty man of God, strong in character. In his spirit, may his arms be lifted in praise to You all day long. May he raise his requests and burdens to You.

    husband

    I pray that my husband will be like a tree whose leaf does not wither. Keep him from compromising when things are difficult or when temptation is fierce. Protect him from the “withering” of discouragement or fear. Keep him leaning on You, drawing his strength from you.

    [Click HERE to read more of this prayer at StartMarriageRight.]

  • Coming Up:

    Mark and Jill

    Be sure to join us  ON THURSDAY (April 20) for our prayer call with Mark and Jill Savage. They have an incredible story of a restored marriage. (Read more about this couple HERE.) You will be encouraged by their insights, and you will be strengthened by the time of prayer.

    You can join us by phone or online at 12:30 (EDT), or listen later to the recording posted online. Simply visit the Prayer Call page on MannaForMarriage.com for info on the call or to view the recordings.

    Congratulations to Angie for winning a copy of Mark and Jill’s book, compliments of Moody Publishers. 🙂

    A Weekend Getaway

    As you plan your summer, be sure to schedule some time for your marriage. A great way to do that is to sign-up for a “A Weekend to Remember.” There are many of these marriage events scheduled for this summer and fall.

    “A Weekend to Remember” is a fantastic getaway for you and your spouse. You will spend two nights at a lovely hotel, listen to great speakers share practical insight and encouragement concerning marriage, and enjoy some much-needed quality time together.

    When you register, be sure to use the group code, MannaForMarriage, to receive a
    $100 discount on your registration. Click HERE to learn more, to find a location, and to register.

    “A Weekend to Remember” is a FamilyLife event. You may contact FamilyLife directly by calling 1-800-FL-TODAY. Remember to ask for the $100 discount by using  the group name: MannaForMarriage.

    See you Thursday!
    Tami

  • Christmas Prayers

    Thank You, LORD, for the awesome message of Christmas:

    You stoop down to make us great. (Psalm 18:35, NIV)

    How incredible! This is precisely what You did through the stunning miracle of the Incarnation.

    You stooped down beneath the stars, beneath a low stable door, entering our world to enter our lives.

    You stooped to wash our feet.

    You stooped to lay Yourself down upon a cross so that we could rise up into the greatness of knowing You face to face.

    Lord, would You help us to flesh out that same Love in our marriages? Please birth in us the willingness to stoop to make our spouses great. Show us how to humble ourselves, laying aside our “garment” of prideful self-centeredness and picking up the “towel” of joyful service.

    To do that, we need insight into one another’s true needs; we need discernment to know how to minister well. We relinquish our foolishness and weakness so that we can be filled with Your wisdom and power.

    Thank You for the examples of Mary and Joseph in the first Christmas story.

    Christmas

    A Prayer for Wives

    … God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

    Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.

     “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

    The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. … For no word from God will ever fail.”

    “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.  (from Luke 1:26-38, NIV)

    Christmas

    LORD, we pray that You would enable us to follow the example of Mary. Help us not to be afraid but to know that, if we belong to You, we are highly favored by You, and You are with us. Help us to say each day, “LORD, I am Your servant. In this marriage, I am Your servant.”

    When Your plan seems confusing, even impossible, help us to trust Your goodness. As You have promised, LORD, bless us with deep happiness as we believe that You are a faithful Promise-Keeper (Luke 1:45). LORD, give us rejoicing spirits, overflowing with praise (Luke 1:46-47).

    A Prayer for Husbands

    The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to break the engagement quietly.

    But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

    When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her but did not know her intimately until she gave birth to a son. And he named Him Jesus. (from Matthew 1:18-25, HCSB and NLT)

    LORD, we pray that we would follow the lead of Joseph. Chosen by You, may we be “the body armor of God’s righteousness” for our marriages (Ephesians 6:14, NLT). When we feel betrayed or offended, help us not to react out of our own understanding, but to listen to Your voice just as Joseph listened to Gabriel. Enable us to trust You as You speak to us through the Scriptures.

    We pray that we would excel in caring for our wives, even when we feel that our own desires are not being met. Like Joseph, may we protect our families, both spiritually and physically. May we be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit, and quick to respond when we hear Your instructions.

    A Prayer for Both

    Help us, like both Joseph and Mary, to be listening for Your voice. Help us to yield up our own ambitions quickly and to press fully into Your will, confident that You are a trustworthy God. Your love for us is unfailing and fervent. Your wisdom is complete, and Your power is unlimited.

    LORD, we pray that You would protect our marriages from all evil, just as You miraculously protected Mary and Joseph. Direct our paths, and help us to trust You, even in unfamiliar and uncomfortable circumstances.

    So [the shepherds] hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. … The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (from Luke 1:16-20, NIV)

    Shepherds came to see what You were doing in the lives of Mary and Joseph, and they left amazed, unable to contain their wonder at Your marvelous work. LORD, would you do that in our marriages? Would You help us to hold You in our marriages so that others behold You? Would You please work in our homes so that others see something so fantastic that they are awestruck in Your Presence and full of praise for You?

    Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19, NIV)

    LORD, make us aware of the things that You are doing in our marriages. And make us aware of all the things within our spouses that we should be treasuring. By Your Spirit, cause us to marvel and give thanks.

    Thank You, God-with-us, for stooping to make us great. Thank You for helping us this Christmas to do the same for our spouses.

    As we kneel in service to our spouses, we bow in worship and adoration before You.

    Amen.
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    Be sure to join us every Thursday for our weekly prayer call as we “fight on our knees” for marriages and family.

     

     

     

    ———————————————————–

    All photos are from the movie The Nativity Story.

    This article, slightly modified, first appeared on StartMarriageRight.com.

  • Reformation Day: A Day to Celebrate!

    A Holy-Day to Celebrate

    You probably know that today is Halloween. But did you realize that it is also Reformation Day?

    reformation day

    And did you know that Reformation Day is a fantastic thing to celebrate?

    Reformation Day
    from the movie “Luther”

    On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the wooden door of the cathedral in Wittenberg, Germany. This was the spark which fueled the Protestant Reformation and some remarkable changes for the world.

    Posthumous Portrait of Martin Luther as an Augustine Monk
    Posthumous Portrait of Martin Luther as an Augustine Monk

    God used Martin Luther in a dramatic way to restore freedom and truth to His people. Luther had some significant flaws in both his doctrine and character. However, God gifted Luther with many profound spiritual insights, as well as the courage and conviction to defend those Biblical truths.

    As he studied the Scriptures, Luther re-discovered this glorious truth:

    We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is a free gift. It cannot be earned, bought, or sold.

    This wonderful news, like a precious jewel, had been buried under thick layers of distortion and corruption within the Church. Luther retrieved this valuable gem, dusted off the deception, and held it up so that others could experience its beauty again.

    Luther also re-discovered the key doctrines of the priesthood of all believers and the authority of the Scriptures. He taught that Church leadership was not infallible. For his refusal to recant some of his convictions, Luther suffered excommunication from the Church and threats to his life.

    Luther Before the Diet of Worms, by Anton von Werner (1843–1915)
    Luther Before the Diet of Worms, by Anton von Werner (1843–1915)

    Reformation Day reminds us to thank God for the free gift of salvation, for the Scriptures that we hold in our hands, and for the direct access that we have into the Presence of God Almighty.

    Ways to Celebrate

    Here are several ways you may want to celebrate Reformation Day at your house:

    1. Watch the movie Luther. (The entire movie, in two parts, is posted on youtube. The movie is rated PG-13 and is not appropriate for children. )
    2.  If you have young children, they will enjoy coloring pictures of Luther’s shield and learning about its interesting symbols. You can find fun activities for children at these sites:
      *http://www.blessedbeyondadoubt.com/reformation-day-activities/
      *http://theroadto31.com/2013/10/celebrating-reformation-day-like-christian.html
      *http://www.sojournkids.com/blog/2010/10/reformation-day-party-plan
    3. Sing or read the lyrics to A Mighty Fortress is Our God, written by Luther in 1529.
    4. Prepare a German supper. (I think German-chocolate cake qualifies, don’t you?)
    5. You can read more about Luther through many resources, but this website is unique in giving an easy-to-understand translation of the Ninety-Five Theses: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/the-reformation/the-95-theses-a-modern-translation/
    6. Enjoy some great Luther quotes (below).

    Quotes by Luther

    Prayer

    To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.

    Pray, and let God worry.

    Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance. It is laying hold of His willingness.

    All teachers of Scripture conclude that the essence of prayer is simply the lifting up of the heart to God. But if this is so, it follows that everything else that doesn’t lift up the heart to God is not prayer. Therefore, singing, talking, and whistling without this lifting up of your heart to God are as much like prayer as scarecrows in the garden are like people.

    I have often learned much more in one prayer than I have been able to glean from much reading and reflection.

    Scripture

    The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me.

    Faith

    This is true faith, a living confidence in the goodness of God.

    The heart overflows with gladness, and leaps and dances for the joy it has found in God. In this experience the Holy Spirit is active, and has taught us in the flash of a moment the deep secret of joy. You will have as much joy and laughter in life as you have faith in God.

    Faith is the “yes” of the heart, a conviction on which one stakes one’s life.

    We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.

    Therefore, when some say good works are forbidden when we preach faith alone, it is as if I said to a sick man: “If you had health, you would have the use of your limbs; but without health the works of your limbs are nothing” and he wanted to infer that I had forbidden the works of all his limbs.

    The two chief things are faith and love. Faith receives the good; love gives the good. Faith offers us God as our own; love gives us to our neighbor as his own.

    Marriage

    Katharina von Bora, Luther's wife, by Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1526
    Katharina von Bora, Luther’s wife, by Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1526

    Let the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave.

    One learns more of Christ in being married and rearing children than in several lifetimes spent in study in a monastery.

    Other

    You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say.

    Every man must do two things alone; he must do his own believing and his own dying.

    Temptations, of course, cannot be avoided, but because we cannot prevent the birds from flying over our heads, there is no need that we should let them nest in our hair.

    Happy Reformation Day!

  • 5 Great Quotes & 1 Interview

    5 Great Quotes:

    quotes

    Elizabeth Elliot put it this way:  we married our spouses because we loved them, so now we must love our spouses because we married them.

    quotes

    Be for your spouse! Don’t just commit to your marriage: commit to the good of your spouse.

    quotes

    Love is a decision to seek the good of another. If we are not choosing to love our spouses each day, then we are also rejecting God’s perfect will for us. As we turn from our self-will, we can yield to the goodness of God.

    quotes

    quotes

    And 1 Interview:

    On Thursday, August 25, I will be interviewing Jennifer Strickland on our weekly prayer call. Jennifer is the author of 21 Myths … About Sex. (You can read more about her book HERE.)

    Jen and ShaneDuring the 15-minute call, I will be asking Jennifer these questions:

    • How does body image affect marriage? What are the truths that we need in order to shape our thoughts in this area correctly?
    • What suggestions do you have for someone dealing with a spouse’s porn addiction?

    Then Jennifer will lead us in praying for our marriages.

    Jen and family

    Join us! We “fight on our knees” for marriages and families every Thursday at 12:30 (Eastern time).  You can join by phone or online. All the info is right HERE.

    Blessings to you,
    Tami

  • Mountain-Moving Faith

    Need to move any mountains?

    Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt,
    not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.”
    (Matthew 21:21, NIV)

    mountain-moving faithWhat is this faith that shrivels fig trees and tosses mountains into the sea?

    It must be more than believing that “God can.” There have been times when I have believed that, and the mountain did not budge. And it must be more than believing that “God will.” There have been times when I have believed that, and the mountain just laughed.

    Achieving or receiving?

    I don’t claim to have the final answer on faith. But here is an aspect of faith that I am learning:

    Faith is often an act of receiving.

    Faith is always active, but it is not always an act of accomplishing or achieving. Primarily, it an act of receiving.

    Faith is not grabbing something as much as it is holding out empty hands. Perhaps a quick willingness to receive is part of the childlike quality that Christ commended to us:

    “I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child
    will never enter it.”
    (Mark 10:15, NLT)mountain-moving faith

    Mountain-moving faith must have a spiritual emptiness which God can then fill. This kind of belief is not a gathered-up power; it is more of a posture. It is the mode of receiving. It is the very opposite of what we usually do when we want something: we try to grab!

    Rather than commanding God, faith is the act of submitting to God. It is submitting to receive. It is the act of opening, the act of rolling out a red carpet of expectancy. It is submitting to the will and goodness of God.

    Causing or allowing?

    This kind of faith is not about causing something to happen as much as it is about allowing something to happen. It is about creating spiritual space that God can infuse with His power.

    This helps us understand why God cannot forgive us if we do not forgive others. Bitterness causes us to close our spirits. Resentment is actually a lack of faith in God. We don’t trust His justice and goodness enough to relinquish the matter to His care. When we close our spirits to others, we are closing our hands to God. We no longer have an inner openness that can receive from Him.

    Adam and Eve were the first to close their spirits to God. Instead of living with “open hands” before the LORD, Adam and Eve decided to take matters into their own hands. Instead of remaining in a posture of receiving from God, they grabbed for themselves. And then, in a futile attempt to cover their shame, they picked leaves from a fig tree—leaves which soon shriveled.

    fig-316141_640

    Was that first fig tree related to the tree that Jesus cursed in Jerusalem? Of course, I don’t know that, but I think we can link them a bit in symbolism.[i] The fig leaves that Adam and Eve wore represent their closed spirits and their lack of faith in the goodness of God. When we resist God, it is as if we are wearing spiritual fig leaves. We will experience shriveled spirits unless we open ourselves again to the Spirit of God. Like sap flowing through a tree, the Spirit will revive us, and He will produce spiritual fruit in our lives.

    figs-504499_640

    Prepare to see some mountains move!

     

     

    ——————————————————

    [i] I think that the primary symbolism of the cursed fig tree is a denunciation of the “false advertising” of empty religion, which is full of “leafy” deeds to show off but which bears no fruit to feed hungry souls.

     

  • The ABC’s of Worship (Part 2)

    Have you ever used the alphabet to spur your responses of worship to the Lord?

    Last fall, I shared with you several graphics that used the letters of the alphabet to structure a prayer of praise to the Lord. (Click here for “The ABC’s of Praise.”)

    Today, I would like to share something similar. However, instead of an alphabetical listing of the attributes of God, this is an alphabetical listing of our responses to the Lord. (Of course, as you worship through the alphabet, you will think of other responses to add to this collection.)

    Before each of the phrases listed below, insert the word “I.”

    Lord, I …

    snappa-1453424713

    snappa-1453425468

    Honor You

    snappa-1453501305

    snappa-1453502204

    Savor You (1)

    Worship You

    May each day of this New Year be filled with sincere worship from our hearts.

     

    ———————————-
    Photo credit: “Daffodil Blooming Through The Snow” by Serge Bertasius

  • Is God’s Will for You a Mystery?

    Sometimes, God’s Will can be a real mystery to us.

    At other times,  it can seem rather mundane. But we can learn from several fascinating stories how to push through the mysterious and mundane into the marvelous!

    Kings have dreams.

    In ancient Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar had a disturbing dream. When he awoke, he called all of his wise men and advisers. He said to them, “Tell me my dream. Tell me what it was, and then tell me what it means.”

    Of course, no one could tell the king what his dream had been. Even when threatened with execution, the counselors could not tell the king what he had dreamed.

    This impossible request reminds me of the game that my youngest child invented when she was a preschooler. When we were at the pool one day, Grace announced, “I am going to go under the water and think about a song. When I come back up, you tell me what I was thinking!”

    God's Will

    The rest of the family thought this was hilarious, which only encouraged Grace in her unusual game. However, we soon discovered that it was not as difficult as it could have been because Grace’s mental collection of songs was apparently limited to “Happy Birthday” (her most popular choice), “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” and an occasional “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”

    Grace’s game was not very hard, but King Nebuchadnezzar’s challenge was truly impossible! His astrologers and sorcerers had no clues. This was no game at the pool; it was a life-or-death matter.

    One of the king’s wise men was Daniel, who actually was a wise man and who knew what to do. He prayed to God, for he understood that “God is a revealer of mysteries” (Daniel 2:29, NIV).

    Sometimes, we are in a similar situation. The King of Kings has a “dream” for us, so to speak. We understand that God has a plan for us, and we say, “God, if You will just tell me what the plan is, I will do it.” But we can’t figure out what this great mystery is!

    We may be struggling with a career decision or a relationship challenge. Certainly in marriage, we face some mysteries! The hearts of our spouses—and even our own hearts—are deep mysteries, indeed. We may be saying, “God, I want to do what You want to me to do in my marriage; but God, for the life of me, I cannot figure out what that is!”

    God reveals mysteries to those who seek Him.

    But our King is not like King Nebuchadnezzar because our King loves to make known His dream to His people. God does has a dream for your life. He does have a plan for your marriage today, and He is not going to keep it hidden from you! Instead, God promises to be the Revealer of mysteries, and He will show you what you need to know for today.

    I notice that Daniel did not learn what the king’s dream was until the very night before his scheduled execution. He had only a few hours to get this right! That is relevant to us, too. God does not usually show us the five-year-plan that we would love to see, but He always gives us the wisdom and the knowledge that we need for today. Always.

    Notice Daniel’s prayer:

    Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
        wisdom and power are his. …
    He gives wisdom to the wise
        and knowledge to the discerning.
    He reveals deep and hidden things;
        he knows what lies in darkness,
        and light dwells with him.
    I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors:
        You have given me wisdom and power,
    you have made known to me what we asked of you,
        you have made known to us the dream of the king. (Daniel 2:20-23, NIV)

    God delights in answering our prayers for wisdom. (See Proverbs 2:6 and James 1:5.) If we ask God to reveal the mysteries of His will for us, we will be able to pray this same prayer that Daniel prayed. We can say, “Wow, God! You are going to show me deep and hidden things that I would never be able to know on my own. You will give me wisdom to know how to love my spouse well, and You will give me the power to carry out what You ask me to do.”

    That is awesome! We have great confidence that our King not only has a dream, but that He reveals it to us at the perfect time.

    We can lose that confidence, however, when God’s instructions to us are not what we expect. Sometimes we ask God to reveal His will, He tells us what to do, and then we respond like Simon Peter did one time.

    Keep doing what God tells you to do.

    Crowds of people had gathered beside a lake to listen to Jesus.

    Then [Jesus] sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

    Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.” (Luke 5:4-5, NIV)

    I can identify with that response! Sometimes we ask God for wisdom, He tells us what to do, and then we say, “Lord, I have done that! I did that all night long and caught nothing!”

    Maybe you are saying, “God, I did that all year long!” or “I did that for the past decade! I worked very hard, and I am exhausted. I tried doing what You said to do, but I caught nothing. Nothing has changed; nothing is working.”

    As we listen carefully to God, we may hear Him say, “Go back out there. In fact, go out even deeper.” That instruction seems to indicate a level of commitment. Perhaps God is asking us to throw ourselves back into working on our marriages, to keep “putting down the nets.” Perhaps we are to go even deeper—that is, we are to commit ourselves to a greater extent than ever before.

    And then do it some more.

    We sometimes say, “If nothing changes, nothing changes.” That is certainly true in many situations, but spiritually, that statement does not always apply because we often do not see what is happening in the spiritual realm.

    Jesus once told a story about a widow who persisted in her legal appeals to an unjust judge. (See Luke 18:1-8.) This hard-hearted man refused to help, but the widow kept going back to him. The Bible doesn’t say that she finally came up with a new approach, wore a different dress, or thought of a new thing to say. She just kept “putting down the nets.”

    God's Will

    And then … the breakthrough came. It came not because the widow did something different; it came because she kept doing the same thing!

    015-persistent-widow

    Do you remember Naaman, who had leprosy? (You can read his story in 2 Kings 5.)  He dipped down into the waters of the Jordan River six times–and six times, nothing happened. Naaman did not see a little bit of improvement after the first dip into the river, and then a bit more improvement after the second dip. There was no visible progress at all! Naaman kept doing the same thing because God told him to do it. And then … God performed the miraculous. Naaman dipped down for the seventh time, and this time, he stood up as a completely healed man.

    naaman

    This is exactly what God does in our marriages sometimes! God says, “Get back out there, and see what I am going do.” And we obey for the same reason that Simon Peter obeyed:  “Because You say so, I will let down the nets” (Luke 5:5). Peter was saying, in other words, “I am not doing this because it seems smart to me, or because I figured it out. I am doing it simply and entirely because You tell me to do it.”

    throw net

    That is a good attitude for us, too, in our marriages. When we know that God has told us to keep on doing what we have been doing, we say, “Lord, I have done this already, but because You say so, I am going to keep doing it.”

    When Simon and the other fishermen obeyed Christ, they caught so many fish that their nets began to break and their boats began to sink! Simon was awestruck. Everyone was amazed.

    net full

    If we are faithful to do what God tells us to do, we are going to be astonished. We can trust God’s instruction to us even though it seems that we are just doing the same thing  … and then doing the same thing again!

    You are going to be amazed!

    But if we will persevere, God will overwhelm us with spiritual fruit. We are going to be amazed at what God is achieving through our persistent, ordinary obedience. If we trust and obey, we are going to be astonished. We are going to overflow with joy because of what God accomplishes through our obedience.

    Let’s ask God to reveal the mysteries of His will. 
    Let’s do whatever He asks.
    Let’s be amazed.

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    “Is God’s Will for You a Mystery?”  is a transcript of last week’s prayer call. Every Thursday, we gather by phone or online to “fight on our knees” for our marriages and families.

    You are invited to join us!

    The call lasts only 15 minutes. For more information, click HERE for the prayer page at MannaForMarriage.com.

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    Photo credit:  “Smiling Little Girl Swimming” by David Castillo Dominici

  • Christmas Prayer

    In Psalm 18:35, God says that He stoops down to make us great. Isn’t that incredible?

    I think that also sums up the wonderful message of Christmas: God came down to lift us up. How amazing!

    I wrote about Psalm 18:35, Christmas, and marriage in “A Christmas Prayer for Our Marriages.” Click on the image to read the prayer.

    X7MZJN39SM

    Merry Christmas!

    Blessings to you,
    Tami

  • Battling Bitterness

    A Strategy to Target Bitterness

    If I were your enemy, I’d use every opportunity to bring old wounds to mind. … I’d try to ensure that your heart was hardened with anger and bitterness. Shackled through unforgiveness.” (page 151)

    With this insight, Priscilla Shirer begins her discussion of a prayer strategy to combat bitterness. Battling bitterness is not only a very common struggle, but it is also an especially fierce one, don’t you think?

    Here are some more excerpts from the chapter entitled, “Your Hurts,” from the book Fervent:

    • Your spiritual enemy, Satan, “wants you long-term angry. And he can use even the lightest offense to do it. … He wants your heart coated with the calluses of resentment, crippled by offenses from your past. Unforgiveness is his design to ‘outwit’ you—to keep you not only bruised and bleeding but unable to experience any power in your prayers or intimacy with your Father.” (157)
    • The enemy of your soul “wants you baking in unforgiveness until your spiritual life is hard and crisp around the edges. Lifeless. Comatose. But Jesus … He wants you free. That’s what He created you for.” (159)
      bitterness
    • “Unforgiveness puts us in prime position for demonic influence and activity to take advantage of us.” (169)
    • The “forgiveness you don’t have any desire to give right now can be amazingly enabled through prayer. … The real facts and details don’t change as you get real with God in prayer. But get ready for some other pieces of information to bubble up to the surface as well, as the Spirit and the Scripture come together in agreement on how you need to handle things.” (161)
    • “The enemy, of course, will want you to balk at this part. He’s been banking on keeping these solutions hidden from you and convincing you that anger and bitterness are the most productive, protective ways of managing the situation.” (161-162)
    • “Forgiveness is God’s command. And it comes with a promise that He will provide us the companion power to pull it off. Don’t expect any other solution to work or to change anything, except for the worse.” (162)

    3 Steps to Victory

    We can demolish enemy lies with God’s truth. We can follow the three steps of spiritual warfare to destroy the enemy attack of bitterness:

    1. When we are bitter, we are believing a lie—always. So the first step is to ask God, “What specific lie am I believing?” Perhaps we think, “Someone else is ruining God’s good plans for me,” or “I am missing out on something good.” Maybe we believe the lie that we must be in control in order to be happy, or the lie that our worth is based on how others treat us.
    2. The second step is to identify Scripture that replaces the lie with truth. I can’t believe that someone else is messing up God’s plan for me if I believe Job 42:2:bitterness
      I can’t believe that I am missing out on something good if I believe Psalm 84:11:bitterness
    1. The third step is to flood your thinking and your spirit with the water of the Word so that the lie is washed away.

    A Surprising Truth about Bitterness

    God is helping me to understand this startling truth:

    My struggle to forgive is actually a struggle with God.

    I think I am wrestling in my spirit with someone who has wronged me. But that is another lie! Here is the truth:

    I am wrestling with God,
    saying that He should not have allowed this to happen,
    and saying that He is not taking good care of me.

    When I recognize this lie, I can target the real problem in my spirit. I can reorient my thinking. God wants to transform me through the renewal of my mind (Romans 12:2).  I can choose to trust the goodness of God. I can rest in knowing that my Good Shepherd really is taking good care of me.

    When I trust the goodness of God, I experience His peace.

    snappa-1449520164

    The light of His Presence utterly dispels the darkness of bitterness.

    bitterness

    May the Spirit of God enable us to keep our eyes on Jesus, to cast ourselves upon His goodness, and to rest in His immense love.

    ———————————–

    Last call for a giveaway copy of Fervent:

    prayer strategies

    Just let me know by Friday, December 11, if you would like a chance to win a complimentary copy of Fervent, and I will enter your name into the drawing.

     

  • Turn Your “Hit-or-Miss” Prayers into Targeted Prayer Strategies

    What are your prayer strategies? Could you use some?

    prayer strategies

    We understand that we are in a spiritual battle. We “wrestle not with flesh and blood,” but against spiritual forces. We wage this battle through prayer, fighting on our knees.

    But do we understand the need for clear battle strategies? Do we fling our prayers out in a hit-or-miss fashion, or do we have a defined plan and target?

    We need focused prayer strategies which will effectively devastate the works of our spiritual enemy. But what are these strategies? And how do we get them?

    To develop a successful strategy, we must
    1) evaluate the methods of the enemy,
    and then
    2) devise a plan to counter those schemes.
    The strategy is both offensive and defensive.

    3 Steps to a Powerful Strategy

    The enemy’s primary strategy is to deceive.  Here, then,  is how you can develop the prayer strategies that you need to be victorious:

    1. What lies does the enemy tempt you to believe? What lies does he tempt your spouse or family member to believe? Identify those specific lies. Those are the specific weapons that you must oppose through prayer.

    2. What truth defeats those lies? Stockpile Scriptures which specifically express the truth which will demolish the deception that the enemy is using.

    3. Pray those Scriptures, and believe that truth. As you do that, you are using a definite prayer strategy to gain spiritual victory. You are fighting effectively, with precision and with power.

    prayer strategies

    An Example

    For example, if I am struggling with discouragement, I can develop a targeted prayer strategy by using those three steps:

    1. What lie am I believing? Perhaps God’s Spirit shows me that I am believing this lie: “my success comes from visible accomplishments.”
    2. What truth defeats that lie? The Scripture says that my success lies in my obedience to Christ. My goal is to please Christ—not impress others or myself.
    3. My prayer strategy is to pray these Scriptures:

    “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” (Joshua 1:8, NLT)

    “Walk in obedience” to the LORD, “so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you do.” (1 Kings 2:3, NIV and NLT)

    “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58, NIV)

    A Helpful Resource

    prayer strategies

    I recently read Priscilla Shirer’s new book Fervent, which is a resource designed to accompany the movie War Room. The book’s subtitle is A Woman’s Battle Plan for Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer. (These strategies form a powerful battle plan for men, too!)

    Priscilla does a fantastic job of examining nine definite prayer strategies, each discussed in a separate chapter. I like the way she begins each chapter with a short analysis of the enemy perspective. It is very helpful for us to grasp that! It is precisely what C.S. Lewis creatively expressed in his Screwtape Letters. When we understand the enemy’s viewpoint and objectives, we can develop powerful counter-strategies.

    Next week, I will share a couple of the prayer strategies from Fervent.

    A Giveaway for YouImage courtesy of digitalart at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

    Thanks to B&H Publishing, I have a copy of Fervent to give away. Simply leave a comment on this post if you would like to be entered into the drawing for a chance to win a copy of Fervent. This book will encourage and strengthen your prayer life.

     

  • The ABC’s of Praise

    the ABC's of praise

    On the Thursday prayer call recently, we “entered His courts” by thinking through the letters of the alphabet in order to list praiseworthy things about God. I like to use this simple method because it quickly brings to mind many words that I can use to express my gratitude and adoration. You might like to try this, too!

    the ABC's of praise

    ABC's of praise

    1590NQYUV2XEYI

    1590I1K2XTNX69

    15904F5RZXHCKF

  • “War Room”

    I saw War Room last night.

    war room

    This new movie has a fantastic message:

    PRAY FOR YOUR MARRIAGE!

    The right way to fight in marriage is by fighting on our knees through prayer. We want to fight for our spouses, not against them. We must ask God to fight the real enemy, the spiritual forces of darkness.

    Elizabeth, the praying wife in War Room, reads these amazing words in James 4:7:

    Submit yourselves, then, to God.
    Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (NIV).

    As she ponders that incredible promise, Elisabeth sets a beautiful example of submitting herself to God in prayer. She then proceeds to resist Satan by shouting at him, which I am not ready to endorse as the best means of resisting Satan. Although she says that now she is going to let God do the fighting for her, Elisabeth actually tries to do a little direct fighting herself. The Warrior Wife tells Satan, “Go back to hell, where you belong!” It seems to me that that directive should come from Christ. I prefer to follow the example of Michael, the powerful archangel. In a dispute with Satan, Michael “did not dare bring an abusive condemnation against him but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’” (Jude 1:9, HCSB).

    I am not wanting to be critical. I just want to add this surprising and encouraging truth:

    Our submission to God IS resistance to the devil.

    Pushing into God is pushing back against the enemy. We sometimes spend a lot of time and energy trying to hold the door closed against Satan. We might forget that our victory comes from something else: it comes from yielding entirely to the Spirit, allowing His Presence and Power to fill us so completely that nothing else can intrude. In other words, instead of trying to hold the door shut against the enemy, I can lay myself down in openness to the Spirit.

    I encourage you to see War Room.

    I am delighted to see a movie playing in the theatres that honors God, that seeks to strengthen marriages, and that promotes Scripture-based, persistent prayer.

    war room

    Most of all, I encourage you to pray!

    Let’s pray for our own hearts. Let’s pray for our marriages and families. Let’s pray for the people that God has placed in our lives.

    And let’s pray the Scriptures. In doing so, our will becomes one with God’s will, and through that unity, power is unleashed, miracles are birthed, and ashes are turned into beauty.

    I also invite you to join our ongoing “war room” every Thursday (at 12:30, Eastern time). For 15 minutes, we “fight on our knees” for our marriages and families. Join online or by phone.

    Battle on!

  • Ready for a Challenge?

    Here’s one that will strengthen your marriage:  a 30-day prayer challenge.

    prayer challenge

    During the month of September, FamilyLife is offering a “Oneness Prayer Challenge.” For 30 days, FamilyLife will text or email to you a short devotional and prayer that you and your spouse can share together.

    One of the most powerful things you can do for your marriage is to pray with your spouse. One study found that praying together reduces the rate of divorce to less than 1 in 1,000. Wow!

    Praying together seems like a simple thing to do, doesn’t it? Well, it may be simple in concept, but it can be difficult to implement!

    If you have not yet established a praying-together habit with your spouse, the Oneness Challenge will be a great help in getting started with that. After 30 days, you will have created a habit that will bless your marriage for a lifetime!

    Praying together does not have to take a lot of time. Start with just 2 or 3 minutes.

    And praying together does not have to be intimidating. You might begin by simply holding hands and praying together silently. When you are comfortable with that, try reading a short prayer aloud. Progress from there.

    If you and your spouse already pray together,  the daily devotionals in the Oneness Challenge will encourage you, and the prayers will add a fresh richness to your own.

    If your spouse is not willing to pray with you, you can still benefit from using the Oneness Challenge as you pray for your marriage.

    “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”
    James 5:16, NLT

    You can sign-up here to receive the 30-day Oneness Challenge by email or text:  Prayer Challenge.

    Praying with you!

     

  • Top 10 Tips for Marriage [with graphic]

    What are your best marriage tips?

    I recently listed my top 10 tips for marriage here: 10 Simple-but-Powerful Ways to Build Your Marriage.

    The article explains each tip, but this chart gives a summary of the ten points:

    top 10 tips for marriage

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    What would you add to that list? I would be interested to hear your suggestions.

    Blessings to you,
    Tami

  • National Day of Prayer 2015

    This Thursday, May 7, will be the 64th National Day of Prayer.  You can be part of this important movement as we pray together for our country.

    National Day of Prayer 2015

    The National Day of Prayer website offers a number of prayer resources. I am attaching two of those resources here because they are helpful in knowing how to pray specifically for our country’s leaders:
    *a bookmark which lists 130 top U.S. officials by name (click HERE), and
    *a prayer guide which lists 30 ways to pray for those who are in authority (click HERE).

    We certainly want to be praying for the Supreme Court justices as they prepare to rule on Obergefell v. Hodges. Their decision will have a significant impact on marriages and families in this country.

    The theme for this year’s National Day of Prayer is 1 Kings 8:28:
    Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day.”

    And here is this year’s song:

    As always, you are invited to join us this Thursday for our weekly prayer call.  We “fight on our knees” for our marriages at 12:30 (Eastern) for fifteen minutes. To join us online, click HERE on Thursday; or to join us by phone,  call 1-323-920-0091. When prompted, enter the access code 022 5211#. (Callers are in “listen-only” mode.)

    How are you praying for our country?

    Praying with you,
    Tami

     

  • Vicki Rose on this week’s prayer call

    Could you use some encouragement in your marriage? Do you know someone else who could?

    This Thursday, author Vicki Rose will be joining me on our weekly prayer call—and I am confident that God will use her to encourage everyone on the call.

    Vicki is the author of Every Reason to Leave and Why We Chose to Stay Together.  (Click HERE to learn more about Vicki’s book.) During this fifteen-minute call, I will be asking Vicki four questions:

    EveryReasontoLeaveCoverWhen you had every reason to leave, what was your compelling reason to stay?
    How do you encourage others who have grown weary or discouraged in fighting the spiritual battle for their homes?
    What is the role of prayer in the fight for our marriages?
    How important is it to fight for our marriages—especially when the marriages are difficult?

    Vicki will then lead us as we “fight on our knees,” praying for our marriages.

    I hope you will be able to join us—and be encouraged!

    The prayer call with Vicki Rose will be this Thursday, November 20, at 12:30 (Eastern time). Here’s how to join us:
    To join us online, simply visit www.MannaForMarriage.com and click on the link that says, “click HERE.”
    To join us by phone, call 1-323-920-0091. When prompted, enter the access code 022 5211#. (You will be in listen-only mode.)

    See you Thursday!